Autonomous vehicles have replaced human drivers with computer-implemented intelligence to control and/or drive the vehicle. Autonomous vehicles typically utilize a number of sensors and other automation technology to help navigate the surrounding environment. For example, three-dimensional (3D) sensing technology may be used to map a vehicle's local environment and larger surrounding areas. This enables an autonomous vehicle to safely navigate and traverse terrain while avoiding both static objects (e.g., trees, structures, drop-offs, etc.) and dynamic objects (e.g., people, animals, vehicles, etc.) in its path.
3D sensing technology relies on real-time sensor data from a number of sensors to construct a 3D image of the surrounding environment. However, the timing of the sensor data is important to accurately construct the 3D image, especially when the autonomous vehicle is traveling at high speeds.